Learn (Without) the Ropes: A Long-Time Climber’s Beginner and Intermediate Bouldering Tips

Reuben Bennett-Daly has been climbing for nearly 30 years. And while it might seem like the sport is reaching new heights of popularity, he says the trend was even bigger in the ’90s, when there were noticeably more top rope and lead climbing gyms around Melbourne than there are now.

“Through the early 2000s that sort of died down, and a lot of gyms closed down or went out of business. But there’s been this recent resurgence with bouldering [specifically] becoming in vogue,” he says. “It was kind of niche but now it’s getting a lot more mainstream interest, which is great.”

In 2014, he and a bunch of mates took over Lactic Factory in Abbotsford, Melbourne’s first dedicated bouldering gym, after the owner expressed a desire to step away. A year later, the team opened a brand-new venture: a bouldering gym in Brunswick, establishing the Northside Boulders network. A third location opened in Northcote in 2017.

Three decades of climbing experience means Bennett-Daly has some tips and tricks up his sleeve. Keen to try bouldering for the first time? Or tried it casually and want to get better? Here are his pointers.

Try different styles – and walls

Not all walls at a bouldering gym are created equal – different angles and styles require different strengths and skills. Vertical walls are straightforward and perpendicular to the ground, while an overhang is inclined towards the climber, putting more strain on the arms as the feet don’t have as much purchase. These are commonly at 40- or 45-degree angles, while even steeper walls are called roofs or caves. “Slab” is inclined away from the climber, allowing you to put most of your weight on your feet and rely more on balance than sheer strength.

When Bennett-Daly and his partners opened the Brunswick gym, they built the walls themselves. “There weren’t really that many commercial [climbing] wall builders around that time, definitely not in Australia,” he explains. Recently, to mark 10 years of operation, they decided to redo them. After a brief closure, the Brunswick gym has now reopened with new walls and a fresh new look.

The additions have “a little bit for everyone”, Bennett-Daly says. “[There’s a] really long 20-degree wall and a big roof section, and we’ve also improved our slab and vertical walls – a lot of new climbers really appreciate those angles. We’re also going to increase our density of problems” – climbing speak for the different routes you can take on a wall – “so we’ll have even more climbs to try.”

“A lot of climbing is really about failing”

It might seem counterintuitive – “just go up” is a common joke in the sport, after all – but Bennett-Daly says you should focus less on finishing a route, and more on how you’ll get there.

“A lot of climbing is really about failing – it’s a lot of trying and figuring something out and not getting to the top, and I think that catches people off guard,” he says. “It’s not just a physical pursuit, it’s also a problem-solving activity where you have to figure out how to get your body to work to a specific movement.”

But he says the struggle – for both the body and the mind – is one of the main reasons climbers enjoy it. “It’s a challenging activity, and that’s where the fun lies.”

Don’t worry about the lingo

What’s a drop knee? Or an arete? What about a toe hook, mantle or gaston?

There’s a lot of jargon that might not be familiar to beginners, but Bennett-Daly says not to stress over it.

“Honestly, I’d say they should just ignore most of it,” he says with a laugh. “It’s useful to know, but I wouldn’t be getting too bogged down in the terminology.”

He says it’s more important to understand body movements and techniques themselves rather than what they’re called. “A drop knee is basically when you twist your knee and drop it inwards to twist your body in. So you could describe it as a drop knee, or you could just say, ‘Twist your body this way.’”

Consistency is key

It’s a cliche for a reason.

“A lot of the time it’s just about showing up and doing it consistently,” Bennett-Daly says. There’s a lot out there about how to train and what to do, and it’s pretty easy to get lost in all that information. But I think the one thing every coach should agree on is that you’ve gotta show up and you’ve gotta do it.”

Case in point: he was in the middle of a training session when Broadsheet called, and got right back to it after our chat.

“You don’t always have to push the hardest to get good results. Just show up and do the work that you need to.”

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Northside Boulders. The Brunswick gym has reopened at 329 Victoria Street, Brunswick. Northside Boulders is currently running a membership sale – get three-month memberships for just $325, with unlimited climbing in all three locations, yoga classes, retail discounts, and Free Friend Fridays.